Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.), a strong supporter of the MAGA movement, was targeted by federal authorities just days after winning a hard-fought victory in the Republican primary against a RINO challenger.
Local outlet WTVF reported on Tuesday about the raid.
Ogles’ attorney, G. Kline Preston IV, refused to confirm or deny the search, stating, “I’m not going to confirm or deny that there was a search warrant issued.” Similarly, the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee declined to comment.
Ogles has faced scrutiny for his campaign’s financial practices. The timing of the raid, so soon after his primary win on August 1, has raised suspicions and allegations of political persecution.
According to Department of Justice guidelines, overt investigative actions against political candidates are generally prohibited within 60 days of an election.
Many conservatives view this as another example of the weaponization of federal agencies against those challenging the establishment.
According to the Daily Mail, Ogles admitted to making mistakes on his campaign finance disclosures earlier this year. He filed numerous amended reports in May, acknowledging that he had not personally loaned his campaign $320,000 as previously claimed. Other amendments led to further retractions of statements made to the Federal Election Commission.
Despite these issues, Ogles has maintained his commitment to representing the grassroots conservative values of Tennessee’s Fifth Congressional District. “I am a grassroots representative, and I pledged everything I own to run for the honor of representing Tennessee’s Fifth Congressional District,” Ogles stated in May, emphasizing his dedication to his constituents.
WTVF reported:
“Details of exactly what areas were authorized to be searched remain unclear, although individuals familiar with such investigations suggested the warrant may have been limited to Ogles’ electronic devices.
A spokesperson for the FBI declined to comment, referring questions about Ogles to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee.
“Pursuant to department policy, we have no comment,” U.S. Attorney spokesperson Mark Wildasin said in an email to NewsChannel 5.
Law enforcement sources in Maury County, where Ogles’ home is located, were not notified about any searches, although one source mentioned that the FBI had executed a search warrant somewhere in the county recently.
Neighbors in the sparsely populated rural area told NewsChannel 5 Investigates that they had not seen any unusual activity around the congressman’s home.”